Gqeberha - CSA’s Women Player of the Year Ayabonga Khaka says it’s now up to the squad to do something special in a home World Cup.
The Momentum Proteas have had good preparations heading into the World Cup. They had many training camps and called on many players to try out to test the depth of the talent pool in the country.
Most recently, their tri-series win over India and the West Indies at Buffalo Park in East London has been the highlight of their preparations. They beat India in the final of the series and beat them convincingly.
Khaka says the side has taken confidence from the series victory and they look to take that confidence into the World Cup that gets underway on Friday at Newlands in Cape Town.
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“The tri-series was preparation ahead of the World Cup for the team,” says Khaka. “We’re obviously happy with the result but the goal was to hone our game in the lead-up to the tournament. The win is a bonus.”
Playing a World Cup at home is special and will put the ladies at an advantage in that they will know the conditions better than any other team in the tournament.
“While we haven’t played at all of the venues, there’s an advantage to understanding how the ball will perform and being able to adapt to the conditions quickly.”
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The two warm-up matches against England and Pakistan further highlighted just how ready the Proteas are for such a big tournament. As the preparations are finally out of the way, Khaka admitted that it’s now up to them as a team to make something special for the country.
“It’s all up to us now to execute. It’s time to make it happen.”
South Africa women will take on Sri Lanka women on Friday at Newlands.